Refrigerating apparatus.



H. H. SOUTHWORTH & F. W. WOLF, Jn.

BEFBIGERATING APBAEATUS.

.1,03%96579 APPLIOATION IY'ILBD 00T.17, 1910. 6

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H. H. SOUTHWO'RTH & F. W. WOLF, Jn.

BBFBIGBBATING APPARATUS. APPLIQATION FILED O0T.17, 1910.

' Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

H. H. SOUTHWORTH & F. W. WOLF, Jn. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. APPLIOATON FILED 00T.17. 1910.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

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entran srarns Parana ernten.

HARRISON II. sOUrHWonrn-l AND ram) W. WOLF, Jn., or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, Assrenons 'ro ICnLnss REFRIGEILATOR. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION ,OF ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Application filed October 17, 1910. Serial No. 587,486.

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating ifipparatus; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referenoe marked thereon, which form" a part of this specification.

This invention relates toimprovements in refrigerating apparatus-,and particularly to refrigerating apparatus of the absorption ty e.

ilhe invention is shown herein as applied to an apparatus ofv-the'intermittent absorp- A refrigerating a paratus of this kind includes a generator absorber containing liquor -whichldll'rn certain periods lof time, receives and absor s ammonia gas delivered to it from the refrigeratin coils, thisv action continuing until it has ecome substantially saturated with the ammonia gas, and during the alternate periods of time said generator absorber gives ott' ammonia gas under pressure, which is passed through a condenser and'then delivered in liquid form to a receiver. From the receiver the liquid ammonia is conveyed through an expansion valve beyond which it expands as a gas through the refrigerating coils whence it is returned to the generator-absorber. During the first mentioned period, thatis to say, While receivin the expanded ammonia gas from the refrlgerating coils, the generator-absorber is subjected to the action of cooling water or other cooling means, while, during the second period, it

is heated, usually by gas, so as to drive the ammonia gas from the saturated or strong liquor. The application of heat is continued unt-i1 substantially all of the ammonia gas is driven ofi", leavin vWeak liquor in the generator-absorber. T e generator-absorber is then ready to absorb ammonia gas again. The apparatus thus necessarily includes cooling and heating means adapted to alternately cool and heat'the generator-absorber. The control of this heating and cooling means has heretofore required manual operation, and the present invention relates to a novel construction and arrangement of height during the period when the generator-absorber is iving ott' ammonia gas and approaching tie minimum 'during the period when the generator-absorber is absorbing gas. The maximumlevel is reached When substantially all the ammonia as has been driven from the generator-a sorber and the minimum level is reached when the liquor in the generator-absorber has become substantially saturated with ammonia gas. That is to say, the maximum and minimum heights of liquid ammonia in the receiver.

occur substantially at the periods of time when it is necessary to alternately apply the cooling andheating means to the generatorabsorber.

In carrying out our invention, we make use of the varying height of the liquid ammonia in the receiver and provide mechanism whereby the variation in height of the liquid ammonia in 'said receiver will eilect the control of the alternate application of the cooling and heating means to the generator-absorber. To this end We provide a float in the receiver which rises and falls with the varying level of the liquid ammonia in the receiver and connect said lioat with the mechanism I for controlling the means for alternately cooling and heating the generator-absorber, said mechanism being actuated by the float to apply the cooling means to the generator-absorber when said float is at its maximum level and to apply the heating means to said generatoraitbsolrber whensaid float is at its minimum eve The invention consists of the. matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out 4in the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved refrigerating apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, F ig. 3 is a vertica section through the abso tion drum on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. `ig. 4 is a vertical sectional view.

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off'thei'e'ceiver condenser on the line 4f-4 @if F'g .1,4 f' e lflnf V.that lembodir'nent 'of your invention illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,y lindicates la,l drum" which fconstitutes' a generator-absorber and 11 'a drum.'l which constitutes a' receiver and condenser. For convenienceand veconomy we have, in the t present` example, combined the condenser A for use in connection with arefrigerating apparatus.'` The standards 10:1,"111'restin a 'tanlt'll which is vadapted to receive the cooling ywater `as it falls from said drums.. The tank 12`is provided with an outlet pipe 13 whichl may be led to any desirabley place f o'r disposal of the water.` 'Withini'therrecfeiver drum 11 is located a fioat`14 Which is adapted to rise and fall with the varying level of the liquid ammonia in't-helreceiver.

. Said tioat may be of any convenient construction and is provided with vertical grooves 14C, 14 in its outer Surface Within which engages guide bars 14h, 14h secured to thelinner walls of the drum 11. Said float is operatively connected, as will presently'appear, to the mechanism which controls thesupply of cooling water to the gen- Vcrater-absorber drumj and also to the mechziiiism which controls the supply of las to' the burner which heats the generatorabsorber drum.

15 is a main water supply pipe which is connected by av T-joint 15a to branch pipes 1G, 1,75 the one 16 leading to a cooling coil 1S located above the absorption drum 10. and the one 17 leadingr to a cooling `coil 19 located above thereceiver drum 11. Said coils are respectively provided with perforations 18a, 19'1 on their under sides through which the coolingr water flows upon the top of the associated drum.

Q0 is a lever' which operates a two-way cock located in the T-joint 15a and is adapted to shift the water from the coil 18 above the generator-absorber drum to the coil 19 above the receiver drum and back again. A hand valve 151 is provided in the main water supply pipe 15.

21 is a gas supply pipe leading to a burner coil 2Q located below the generator-absorber drum` and provided with burner openings QQX Said burner is supported on a standard 291 which rests on the bottom of the trough 1:2. l A cock 21a located in the pipe 21 is adapted to control the supply of gas to the burner 22. Said cock is operated by a lever 23. Apilot burner"`24f` which jivsfsu'pplied with gas from the main supply Vpipe at a point beyond the cock Qlfiserves'l to light the burner 22.`

21h isfa'hand valve located Supply' Pire 2.1-

The levers and QOQVIoperatiiig respecj tively the gas and water cocks, are arranged in substantially` parallel relation` andthe re spective'cocks operated bythemfareso constructed that they will bey operated by ani equal movement of theirerespecti,ve lever-sj ally mounted onstuds 26a, 27a fixed to the outer walls ofthe drumsll. and 1(4), rer spectively.; A

2S is a trough-like runway arrantied below the link Q 5and forming'a trackffor'a ball 2th Said trough 'ispivotally connected atfone end `t0 a `bracket 30 which is, rigidly se-` cured to the `drum 10,f and at its other end has pivotal connection with a rocking bellcrank lever 31 which is made rigid with .a horizontal crankshaft 32. journaled within the receiver ldrum 11 and havinga part- 321A which projects through a stutlng-lioxBQa in one wall Aof said drum. The rocking bellcrank lever 31 is secured to the part B2b of said shaft'. `The bracket 530 h asgllaterally separated arms 30, 30?, which are pivoted to lugs 28a, 28 formed near one end of the trough QS., Near the opposite end of said trough that is to say, thatend near the receiver drum 11, said trough is provided with laterally proiectingstuds 28h, 281g, which rest within the Y-shaped ends 31a, Slaof laterally separated arms 31" comprising thev bellecrank. lever 31. The lower ends 2Gb, 2lb of the rocking levers QG. 27 project through slots 98X, 28X formed in the bottom and ends of the -trough 2S. f t n A plunger rod issecured to the lower end of thetioat 111 and said plunger rod is connected by a linkElG to a crank-arm 37` made rigid with the shaft 32. it is apparent that. by reason of this construction, the bell-crank lever 31 :will rise and fall with the rising and falling movement of the float 14 whichr as before stated, rises andvfalls with thelevel of the liquid ammonia in the receiver drum. Said rising and falling: movement is communicated to that end of the trough which is adjacent to the receiver.

rThe bottom 3S of the runway 28. on which the ball Q9 rolls is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the runway throughout its length except at each end`r where said bottom is formed at an angle to said axis as indicated at 38a. 38D. said angular deflections beingJ separated from the main bottom of the runway by humps 38 (see Fig. 1). This conreageer struction of the runway is substantially similar to that described in an application for Letters Patent filed on August 22nd, 1910, Serial Number 578,328, and its purpose is to retain the ball at that end of the trough at which it happens to be, until the trough has,

assumed its greatest inclination.

In the bottom of the generator-absorber drum 10 is located a perforated pipe 4() which projects 'through one wall of the drum and is there connected to a pipe 41 which leads from the refrigerator coils (not shown),q Through said pipe the expanded ammonia-gas after itvhas done its work in the refigerating coils enters the drum 10 when it is being cooled and is absorbing ammonia gas. A check-valve 41'El prevents the flow of liquor or ammonia gas from the generatorabsorber drum 10 through the pipe 41 toward therefrigerating coils, when the pressure in said generator-absorber drum rises owing to the heat applied to drive ofi ammoniagas therefrom. The upper ends of the drums 1() and 11 are connected by a pipe 42 through which the ammonia gas is driven from the drum 10 into the drum 11 wherein it is condensed. A check valve 42a is located in said pipe 42 to control the ilow of gas therethrough in the usual manner.

To the lower end of the receiver drum 11 is connected a pipe 43 through which liquid ammonia is conveyed to the expansion valve (not shown) beyond which it expands as a gas through the refrigerating coils.

The operation of the apparatus 'is as follows: Consider the parts in the relation shown in the drawings, when the liquid am- Inonia in the receiver 11 has reached its maximum level; when' the cock in the T- joint 1-5" is turned so as to direct the cooling Water to the coil 18 above the generator- 4 absorber drum 10, and the cock 21a is turned so as to cut oil" the supply of gas to the burner coil 22, under the generator-absorber drum 10. Expanded ammonia gas is now flowing through the pipe 41 and the pipe 40 into the generator-absorber drum 10 wherein it is absorbed by the weak liquor therein, and liquid ammonia is flowing from the receiver drum 11 through the pipe 43 to the expansion valve. The operation continues in this way, the liquor inthe generatorabsorber drum 10 gradually absorbing arnmonia gas, while the liquid ammonia in the receiver drum 11 is lgradually decreasing in volume. The float 14 descends with the level of the liquid ammonia in the receiver, thus rocking the shaft v32 and with it the bell-crank lever 31 which permits the left hand 'end of the trough 28 to descend. The trough 18 gradually inclines toward the left until the iioat has reached its lowest level and the left hand end of the trough has descended to such a point that the part 38h at the righthand end of the trough bottom has passed through a horizontal position,

ing lever 26 and rocks said lever which, 75

4through thelink 25, shifts the levers 23 and 20, thereby operating the gas and water vcocks so as to turn on the gas to supply the burner I22 under the generator-absorber drumv 10, and Jto divert the cooling water from the coil 18 above the generator-absorber drum 10 to the coil 19 above the receiver drum '11.' Ammonia gas yis now driven from the generator-absorber drum 10 to the receiver drum 11 and, condensing in said drum, causes-thelevel of the liquid Aammonia therein to rise. This raises the float 14 Whichcauses the'left hand end of the trough 28 to rise. This continues until the float 14 reaches ,its maximum level whereupon the ball 29 rolls down the trough, now inclined to the right. as indicatedin Fig. 1, and strikes the arm 27b of the 'rocking lever 27, thereby rocking said leverso as to shift the cock operating levers 23 .and 2O back into the position indicated in the drawings. The cooling water is thus again diverted into the coil 18 above the generator-absorber drum 10, and the gas supply to the burner 22 under said drum is cut oil". The operation then continues as before.

lt will be apparent that the operation of our apparatus is entirely automaticrequiring no attention whatever after it has once |been started.

The apparatus is of particular advantage for use in connection with refrigerators where the employment of an attendant to give the requisite constant 'attention to its operation is not justified by economy.

While we have shown and described herein as illustrating one embodiment of our invention an apparatus embracing certain details of mechanical construction, it is apparent that these may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited in any wav thereby except as hereinafter pointed out in the appended claims.

`We claim as our invention 1. In a refrigerating apparatus of the'absorntion type, including a generator-absorben! means for alternately cooling and heating said generator-absorber, and a liquid ammonia receiver fed from said generator-absorber and in which the level of the liquid ammonia varies, means actuated by the change of level of the 'liquid ammonia in said receiver adapted for controlling said vcooling and heat-nig means.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus of the abaor'ption type, including a 'generator-absorber, means for alternately cooling and heating said generator-absorber, and a liqnid ammonia receiver fed from said generator-absorber and in Which the level of the lliquid ammonia varies, a float in said'reoeiver adapted to rise and fall with the level of the liquid ammonia therein, and meansl actuatedl by said float adapted for controlling said cooling and heating means. 2

3. In a refrigerating appara-tus of the absorption type, including a generator-absorber, a cooling Water pipe adapted for supplying Water to said generator-absorber, means for controlling the supply `of Water. to said pipe, a gas .burner adapted to heatj said generator-absorber, means oncontrolling the supply of gas .to said burner, and i tana? a liquid ammonia receiver fed from said generator-absorber and in which the level of the Liquid ammonia varies, a Heat in said receiver adapted to rise and fall with the level of the liquid ammonia in said neceiver, a rook shaft operated by said float, and mechanism intermediate said` rock shaft and said gas controlling and Water controlling means adaptedito turn on the one and turn H the other.

In testimony, that We claim the foregoing a's our invention We aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses, this th day of October A. 111910.

HARRISON H. SOUTHWORTH. FRED W. WOLF, Jn. Witnesses:

CLARENCE E. IVIEHLHOPE,` T. H. ALFBEDB. 

